Rise of Islam Ch. 10 section 1 Page 233 Islam: Myths and Reality Terminology: The religion is called ISLAM. The people are MUSLIMS. 3 Myth #1: Most Muslims are Arabs who live in the Middle East. 3 Reality: Of more than 1 billion Muslims worldwide, only about 1/5 are Arabs. 4 Try to Guess: Which country has more Muslims than any other country in the world? 5 Answer: Indonesia - with over 200 million Muslims. Note: The U.S. has about 5 million Muslims. 6 7http://www.skidmore.edu/academics/arthistory/ah369/islam_map.jpg Myth #2: Muslims have a strange religion and worship a god called Allah. 8 Reality: Muslims are monotheistic and worship the same one God as Christians and Jews. 9 Note: Allah is the Arabic word for God. 10 Myth #3: Muslims believe it is o.k. to kill civilians in a holy war (jihad). 11 Reality : Only Muslim extremists believe this. (Just like most Christians do NOT believe in bombing abortion clinics.) 12 Myth #4: Most Muslim women wear veils over their faces and are treated very badly. 13 Reality : Muslim women have many different styles of dress. (Very few cultures require women to cover their faces.) The treatment of women varies from country to country and family to family. Some Muslim countries, like Pakistan, have had female prime ministers. The U.S. has never had a female president. 14 Muslim girls in Texas protesting discrimination for wearing head scarves Something to think about: Should women in a Western country be allowed to wear a headscarf if they choose? 21 Cultures of Arabian Peninsula were in constant contact with each other for centuries Southwest Asia (referred to as the Middle East) was a bridge between Africa, Asia and Europe, where goods were traded and new ideas shared One set of shared ideas that would become a powerful force in the world was the religion of Islam Arabian Peninsula Bedouins Arabian Peninsula was the crossroads of 3 continents: Africa, Asia and Europe Was only a tiny strip of fertile land, remainder of land was desert Nomads called Bedouins were organized into clans Bedouins adapted to conditions, defended against raids by other clans seeking water, livestock or food supplies Nomadic fighting skills became core of armies who later built a huge empire Armed Bedouins Areas with more fertile soil had enough water to support farm life eventually they turned into market towns and were known for local, regional, and long distance trade goods By the early 600s, trade routes connected Arabia to major ocean and land routes Trading Merchants transported silk, spices and incense Ideas and information were carried from the outside world Petra and Palmyra had become important cities on the trade route Petra Petra was a trading city literally built from rock Petra means rock in Greek Buildings were carved out of red sand stone cliffs Mecca City of Mecca in western Arabia became an important stop on trade routes During certain holy months, caravans stopped in Mecca and brought religious pilgrims who came to worship at an ancient shrine in the city The simple house of worship is called the Kaaba Arabs associated this house with Abraham- a believer in 1 God The Kaaba in Mecca Over the years, they had introduced worship of many gods and spirits to the place The Kaaba contained over 360 idols brought by many tribes Many traveled to the site as a pilgrimage Concept of belief in 1 God, called Allah in Arabic, was not new on Arabian Peninsula Many Jews and Christians lived in Arab lands and practiced monotheism- belief in 1 God Muhammad was born into this mixed religious environment of Mecca around 570 A.D. Prophet Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad born into powerful Meccan family Was orphaned at age 6 and raised by his grandfather and uncle Had little schooling and began working in trade as a young man Became a trader and business manager for Khadijah, a wealthy businesswoman Fell in love and married her at age 25, had a good partnership and marriage Muhammad spent time meditating alone and praying At age 40, his life changed overnight as heard a voice calling to him as he meditated in a cave outside Mecca According to Muslim belief, the voice was of the angel Gabriel who told him he (Muhammad) was the messenger of God Came to believe that the Lord who spoke to him through Gabriel was Allah, and he was the last of the prophets Islam Religion Muhammad taught that Allah is the one and only God, and all other gods must be abandoned People agreeing to basic principle of Islam called Muslim Islam- submission to the will of Allah (the religion) Muslim- one who has submitted (one who belongs to the religion) Muhammads wife and friends become first followers By 613, he began preaching in Mecca with little success Many Meccans thought his new ideas would neglect worship of traditional Arab gods and Mecca would lose its position as a pilgrimage center if people accept monotheistic beliefs Muhammad Preaching to Mecca The Hijrah Some of his followers were beaten up or stoned in the streets Muhammad left Mecca in 622, and settled 200 miles from Mecca in a town called Yathrib Hijrah The migration from Mecca to Yathrib is known as Hijrah This marked a turning point and attracted many followers Later, Yathrib was renamed Medina which meant city of prophet Muhammads Many Hats Muhammad had great leadership skills Worked out an agreement that joined his own people with the Arabs and Jews of Medina as a single community These groups accepted him as a political leader He drew many converts from those who found his message appealing Also became a military leader in hostilities between Mecca and Medina The Prophet Takes Mecca Many Bedouin tribes converted to Islam and joined Muhammad and followers During the years that Medina and Mecca battled, Meccas power as a city declined 630, Muhammad the Prophet and 10,000 followers marched just outside Mecca Meccas leaders surrendered knowing they would be defeated The Prophet entered the city in triumph When Muhammad entered the city, he went to the Kaaba and declared Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. He then destroyed the idols in the Kaaba and had the call to prayer from the rooftop Many Meccans pledged loyalty and converted to Islam, joining the umma (Muslim religious community) Muhammad died 2 years later Dome of the Rock Located in Jerusalem, earliest surviving Islamic monument Completed in 691, and sits on Mount Moriah, the site of a Jewish temple destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70 Muslims say spot is where Muhammad ascended into heaven to learn of Allahs will Jews identify the same rock as the site where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac In September 1996 violence erupted near the Dome of the Rock after Israeli workers opened a tunnel that runs alongside the compound of the Dome of the Rock. The tunnel connects the Western Wall (the holiest Jewish site) with the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus is said to have walked before his crucifixion Palestinians opposed opening the tunnel because they feared it would violate the compound which is the third holiest site for Muslims Beliefs and Practices of Islam Main teaching is there is 1 God There is good and evil and each person is responsible for his/her actions Believe each person will stand before Allah on final judgment day and enter heaven or hell To be Muslim all believers must carry out 5 duties known as Five Pillars of Islam 5 Pillars of Islam 1. Faith 2. Prayer 3. Alms 4. Fasting 5. Pilgrimage Faith Faith- must testify to the following statement: there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah Prayer Prayer- five times a day, face toward Mecca- prayers are said at dawn, mid-day, late-afternoon, sunset and nightfall Alms Alms- social responsibility to give alms (money) to the poor Fasting Fasting- fast between dawn and sunset during the holy month of Ramadan- eat a simple meal at end of day to remind that there are greater needs than bread Pilgrimage Pilgrimage- those who can perform a hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) Was once a grueling journey crossing deserts, but today, many people arrive by plane A Way of Life Believers are forbidden to eat pork or drink wine- considers the pork to represent filth, and wine alters your mind and spirit Friday afternoons are set aside for communal worship and prayer There is no priest or central authority- worship God directly Ulama are religious leaders who study the words of Muhammad and apply them to everyday life Sources of Authority Original source of authority is Allah, who expressed will through angel Gabriel, who revealed it to Muhammad After Prophets death his revelations were collected in a book called the Quran (Koran)-only the Arabic version is considered true word Muslims believe the Sunna (Muhammads example) is the best model for proper living The sharia is a system of law that regulates family life, moral conduct, and business and community lives of Muslims The Quran Muslim Views Muslims view Allah as the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians View Jesus is a prophet, not Gods son Believe the Quran is the final book, and Muhammad the final prophet Similarities- Jews, Christians, Muslims All believe in heaven and hell and trace ancestry to Abraham All have a book *Jews- the Torah *Jews- the Torah *Christians- the Bible *Christians- the Bible *Muslims- the Quran *Muslims- the Quran Muslims consider Jews and Christians people of the book Sharia law required Muslim leaders to extend religious tolerance to Christians and Jews Muslim Empire A huge Muslim empire grew to include people of many different cultures and religions